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HomeNewsJustice Department Endorses $487M Fine for Boeing Over 737 MAX Crashes

Justice Department Endorses $487M Fine for Boeing Over 737 MAX Crashes

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Washington, August 15 (FFN) – The U.S. Department of Justice has officially endorsed a settlement agreement that imposes a $487.2 million fine on Boeing in connection with the fatal crashes of its 737 MAX aircraft. This decision is part of a broader effort to hold the aerospace giant accountable for its role in two devastating incidents that claimed 346 lives.

The settlement agreement, announced late Tuesday, requires Boeing to pay the maximum statutory fine in addition to the billions the company has already paid as part of a 2021 settlement and ongoing civil litigation. The Justice Department emphasized that this agreement does not grant Boeing immunity from liability for other potential misconduct, specifically citing an ongoing investigation into a separate incident involving Alaska Airlines.

The crashes in question occurred in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019, leading to a global grounding of the 737 MAX fleet and intense scrutiny of Boeing’s safety practices. Relatives of the victims have expressed dissatisfaction with the settlement, arguing that the penalties imposed on Boeing should be even more severe. They had previously called for the settlement to be rejected, pushing for a higher financial penalty and more stringent accountability measures.

As part of the settlement, Boeing admitted to criminal conspiracy charges for providing misleading information to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about critical software on the 737 MAX. The Department of Justice acknowledged that Boeing knowingly misled regulators, but noted that it was unable to conclusively prove that these actions directly caused the crashes.

The ongoing investigation into the January 2024 emergency landing of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, which was forced to land after a side panel detached mid-flight, further complicates Boeing’s legal challenges and underscores ongoing concerns about the safety of its aircraft.

Here’s a table of significant Boeing aircraft crashes similar in severity or impact to the 737 MAX incidents:

DateLocationAircraft ModelAirlineCasualtiesCause
March 27, 1977Tenerife, SpainBoeing 747-121Pan Am / KLM583Runway collision due to communication error and poor visibility
July 19, 1989Sioux City, Iowa, USABoeing DC-10-10United Airlines111Engine failure leading to loss of hydraulic controls
July 17, 1996East Moriches, New York, USABoeing 747-131TWA (Trans World)230Explosion of center fuel tank, likely due to short circuit
September 11, 2001New York, Washington, Pennsylvania, USABoeing 767-223ER / 757-223American Airlines / United Airlines2,977Terrorist hijacking and deliberate crashes
August 14, 2005Grammatiko, GreeceBoeing 737-31SHelios Airways121Cabin depressurization leading to loss of consciousness of crew
June 1, 2009Atlantic OceanBoeing 737-8EHAir France228Loss of control in cruise due to pitot tube icing and pilot error
March 8, 2014South China SeaBoeing 777-200ERMalaysia Airlines239Disappearance under mysterious circumstances, possibly due to deliberate act
March 24, 2015French Alps, FranceBoeing A320-211Germanwings150Deliberate crash by co-pilot
October 29, 2018Java Sea, IndonesiaBoeing 737 MAX 8Lion Air189Faulty sensor triggering MCAS system, leading to uncontrollable dive
March 10, 2019Bishoftu, EthiopiaBoeing 737 MAX 8Ethiopian Airlines157Similar MCAS-related issue to Lion Air crash

This table highlights major crashes involving Boeing aircraft, focusing on those with significant casualties or where technical or mechanical failures played a crucial role.

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